Rent-to-own News - Aaron's managers donate 4,500 hours of service and $200K to Orlando community

Aaron's associates prepare 2,000 personalized military care packages for distribution at the company's community outreach day Monday.

For the third year in a row Aaron’s associates dedicated an afternoon to community outreach projects benefiting military service members, area children and the community. 

More than 2,000 Aaron’s associates Monday, invested 4,500 hours and $200,000 in product and service donations to local community organizations as part of the company's annual managers meeting in Orlando. As part of the donation, Aaron's will present St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the nation’s top children’s cancer hospital, with a check for $81,200 from funds raised during an employee campaign.

“The community outreach component of the annual managers meeting has become a highlight for all our participants, and the event reflects how deeply giving back to the communities we serve is embedded into our Company philosophy,” said Robin Loudermilk, Aaron’s president and chief executive officer. “Our store managers originally presented us with the idea of incorporating service projects into the meeting and everyone involved is thrilled to see the tradition continue to thrive. Florida is one of Aaron’s top markets and we wanted to give back to a community in which we’ve been fortunate enough to build so many loyal customer relationships.”

Over the past three years of community outreach projects at national meetings, Aaron’s managers will have invested 15,700 hours and $1 million in product and service donations to surrounding communities.

Previously, meetings in the Washington D.C. and Dallas/Ft. Worth areas benefited local charitable organizations including SpiritHorse Therapeutic Center, Dallas Fire-Rescue, Bethesda Naval Medical Center and the Wounded Warrior Project. This year’s list includes Second Harvest Food Bank, Florida Blood Centers and the Boys & Girls Club of Orlando.

New this year was the idea to supplement Aaron’s organized outreach efforts with the St. Jude's donation, which arose from a vote among Aaron’s employees. St. Jude was selected as the favorite charity and therefore was the recipient of funds raised by Aaron’s employees and franchise community.

In keeping with Aaron’s longstanding dedication to assisting military members, attendees will also prepare military care packages for distribution, complete with personalized notes written by associates. 

“We hold our service men and women dear to our hearts, and Aaron’s always strives to discover new and traditional ways in which we can honor and thank them for their sacrifices," said Ken Butler, Aaron’s chief operating officer. "The care packages we’ll be preparing will provide both U.S. and Canadian military members with a small piece of home and a token of our appreciation.”

Renowned sales trainer Tom Hopkins will deliver the meeting’s keynote speech on improving salesmanship and infusing sales techniques with creativity to Aaron’s 2,000 attending managers. Aaron’s NASCAR driver David Reutimann, NHRA drivers Antron Brown and Jack Beckman, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL player Warrick Dunn, and professional bull rider Tuff Hedeman will also attend the meeting, which will take place at the Gaylord Palms Resort.
   
Updates from the meeting are posted here.

Aaron’s 2011 Orlando Community Outreach Events

1.    Military Care Packages
Time:  2:30 to 5:30 p.m. – In continuing Aaron’s proud commitment to honoring all the brave men and women who serve in the military, Aaron’s will prepare 2,000 personalized military care packages for distribution. These packages will contain everyday items that are routinely taken for granted by civilians, such as toothpaste, snacks and playing cards.  Each care package will also include a personalized thank you note from the Aaron’s associate who prepared the package. This will be one of the Company’s largest outreach efforts to support military members, and Aaron’s associates will have the opportunity to send care packages to their own family members who are serving.

2.    Second Harvest Food Bank
Time:  2:30 to 5:30 p.m. – Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida assists a population where 47 percent of the individuals who benefit from its services are children.  Aaron’s associates will proudly prepare, assemble and deliver 6,600 “Hi-Five Kids Packs” to help provide children with nutritious meals for the days when they are unable to eat at school cafeterias.  These packs contain items such as juice, fruit cups, cereal and shelf-stable milk. The packages will be distributed among 18 public schools that have partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank. For more information, visit www.foodbankcentralflorida.org.

3.    Florida’s Blood Centers
Time:  2:30 to 5:30 p.m. – Florida’s Blood Centers is a non-profit healthcare organization that has a 65 year history of serving the Florida community.  Knowing that the need for blood is constant, Aaron’s will host an on-site blood drive to collect donations from its associates.  The Company is encouraging participants to help them exceed their goal of 500 donors.  Blood has a shelf life of merely 42 days, and Aaron’s hopes to remind everyone that the mission of collecting and distributing blood to save lives is never-ending.  For more information, visit www.floridasbloodcenters.org.

4.    Three B’s Workshop for Boys & Girls Club
Time:  2:30 to 5:30 p.m. – The Boys & Girls Club of Orlando has been transforming the lives of children in the Central Florida region since 1944 by providing them with the safety and resources they need to reach their full potential.  Attending Aaron’s associates will each donate two new or gently used children’s books to the Boys & Girls Club.  Additionally, associates will participate in the Three B’s Workshop conducted for the Boys & Girls Club, which will include building 48 bookcases and 155 brand new bicycles for underserved kids in the Orlando area.  For more information, visit www.bgccf.org. 

Aaron's has more than 1,800 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Founded in 1955 by entrepreneur R. Charles Loudermilk Sr. and headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's has been publicly traded since 1982. For more information, visit www.aarons.com.

Charles Loudermilk is APRO's 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner.